Chapter 14: Digitalisation of the Fitness Industry in Australia: Disruption, Adoption and Opportunities

Since the start of the 21st century digital technologies have bought with them a range of benefits to business. Reductions in costs, expansion in markets and increased customer service have been seen in industries as diverse as commerce and finance through to health and retail. However, that is not to say that embracing digitalisation only comes with positive outcomes. Digitalisation is, at its essence, a disruptive technology (Skog, Wilmelius, & Sandberg, 2018). For every business or sector that has grown or taken advantage of digitalisation, there are examples of those negatively impacted by it. For every Uber, there is a taxi industry; for every online retailer, there is a bricks-and-mortar retailer struggling to survive.